As a librarian, I see the same disconnect you do. We're still inundated with self-published authors (from around the world, not just locals) who want us to purchase their books -- so they must see the library as giving them *something* of value, whether it's validation or actual readers' eyeballs.
As someone who's been reading novel-length fanfic online for more than a decade, I'm not enthused about traditional publishing moving in that direction. That model may have the advantages of 24/7 availability and incredible niche marketing, but it can also take days of browsing/searching to find one story worth reading. A reader's odds of finding something good to read, quickly, continue to be astronomically higher in any bookstore or library.
The industry is in flux right now, with several contradictory market models at various stages of existence/maturity. Until things shake down (and who knows how long that will take?), it's probably only going to get more confusing.
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branchandroot
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Date: 2009-11-22 04:04 pm (UTC)As someone who's been reading novel-length fanfic online for more than a decade, I'm not enthused about traditional publishing moving in that direction. That model may have the advantages of 24/7 availability and incredible niche marketing, but it can also take days of browsing/searching to find one story worth reading. A reader's odds of finding something good to read, quickly, continue to be astronomically higher in any bookstore or library.
The industry is in flux right now, with several contradictory market models at various stages of existence/maturity. Until things shake down (and who knows how long that will take?), it's probably only going to get more confusing.